Vet reveals four cat breeds he would NEVER buy – including ‘aggressive’ Bengals and cruelly-bred Scottish Folds
- UK vet Ben creates videos sharing pet health information for his TikTok followers
- He has over 128,000 followers on the platform and more than 3 million likes
- In a recent viral video he talked about four cat breeds he wouldn’t buy and why
- Among the four breeds were Bengals, Sphinxes, Persians and Scottish Folds
A UK vet has created a viral TikTok video revealing which four cat breeds he would never buy – and why.
The creator, known as @ben.the.vet, garnered more than 2.5 million views on the clip, as well as thousands of comments.
In the video, Ben pointed out that the four breeds he outlined are specifically ones he wouldn’t buy, but ‘if it was a rescue situation and they needed to be adopted, then that’s different and [he] would consider them’.
He also reminded viewers that the clip is based on his personal experience as a vet, and while ‘there is science’ to support the health problems he discussed, ultimately, the video is his opinion.
And now its the cats’ turn! 4 breeds I wouldn’t buy as a vet #learnontiktok #catlovers #miaow #veterinary #benthevet
Among the cat breeds the vet would never buy are Sphinxes, with Ben saying he prefers to ‘cuddly a fluffy cat’ (stock image)
Counting backwards from four, Ben listed Bengals as the first breed he would not buy.
He said: ‘They are beautiful looking cats, they have gorgeous coats, I can see why people like them.
‘But, what a lot of people aren’t aware of, is that they’re a hybrid between a type of wild cat called Asian Leopard Cat, and domestic cat breeds. So they’re still quite wild in terms of their behaviour and temperament.
‘And at the vets they have a reputation for being quite aggressive. Usually, it’s our fear that they can actually be really quite dangerous to handle. They’re highly intelligent, they need a lot of stimulation and unfortunately, a lot of homes just aren’t right for them.’
Coming in at number three was the Sphinx. Ben noted that he has ‘nothing against them’, and that they are nice cats, but he I ‘prefers to cuddle a fluffy cat’.
The next breed he would never buy is the Scottish Fold, with Ben explaining that this is down to the way they are bred to have their most distinctive feature – their curly ears – is a result of a cartilage disorder called Osteochondrodysplasia.
TikTok creator – and vet – Ben the Vet (pictured) outlined four cat breeds he would never buy in a video that garnered more than 2.5 million views
Meanwhile, Ben listed Persian cats as the number one breed he would not buy, citing the slew of health issues the animals suffer (stock image)
Ben said: ‘The problem is this defective cartilage is also found in all of their joints. And this means that they commonly develop painful arthritis at a young age…For me that is just cruel and unfair and I could never support their breeding.’
The number one breed the vet would never buy is the Persian cat, with health issues again being the major factor driving the decision.
He said: ‘Number one for me is the Persian cat, and that is because of how flat their faces are, and how many issues that causes them with regards to health and their day-to-day life.’
Ben noted that while some breeders are trying to breed Persians with less extreme features, they are, in his experience, in the minority, and ‘on the whole, people are just far too accepting of the health problems that these cats have’.
According to Ben (pictured) he would not buy a Bengal cat, as the animals can be aggressive, and require more stimulation than many households can provide
The vet added: ‘I have seen Persian cats whose noses look inverted into their face, in that their eyes bulge beyond their nose.
‘People don’t realise they can struggle to breathe just as badly as some of the flat faced dog breeds. And that’s for the same reasons on the whole.
‘The nostrils are too small. All the bones in their nasal passages are crowded together and they often have a too long a soft palate at the back of their throat.’
Scottish Fold cats are another breed the vet would avoid buying, because their distinctive folded ears are a result of a cartilage disorder that causes the animals to suffer from arthritis
In addition, he noted that their tear ducts usually don’t work properly ‘so all of their eye bogeys collect around their eyes’, and that the shape of their heads and bulging eyes leave them vulnerable to eye issues.
Other health issues Persian cats are prone to include heart disease, polycystic kidney disease, and dental disease.
‘So they’re a bit of a health disaster overall,’ said Ben, ‘and for that reason, I could never buy one.’
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